Backpack Buddy and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin Deliver Backpacks To Benjamin Franklin Elementary
WHAT: Backpack Distribution
WHERE: Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, 2308 W. Nash Street, Milwaukee, WI 53206 Second Floor Auditorium (Street parking is available for media)
WHEN: Friday, September 18, 2008
TIME: 11:30 a.m.
WHO: Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and Milwaukee Public Schools
Milwaukee, Wis. – Backpack Buddy and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin (formerly named America’s Second Harvest of Wisconsin) will distribute backpacks filled with school supplies to children at Benjamin Franklin Elementary in the school auditorium on Friday, September 18 at 11:30 a.m. Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent William Andrekopoulos, Margaret Harris of Balistreri owned Sendik’s, Bonnie Bellehumeur, president of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and the Backpack Buddy mascot will hand out backpacks to children in kindergarten through third grades.
The Backpack Buddies program, now in its fifth year, aims to break the cycle of poverty by providing at-risk children with a backpack filled with school supplies. The sale of plush buddies at Balistreri owned Sendik’s stores made this backpack distribution possible. “Lifelong learning starts with a strong foundation in elementary school. We hope these backpacks will give the children the tools to help build a strong educational foundation that they will use for the rest of their lives.” said Bonnie Bellehumeur, president of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.
“We know that some students have been unprepared for classes because their families have the kind of economic challenges that result in not being able to buy school supplies,” said William Andrekopoulos, superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools. “This donation helps not just one family – but families of all students in four complete grades at our Franklin Elementary School,” he added.
A special thanks to our sponsors Balistreri owned and operated Sendik’s stores and FOX6. Together we are providing hope for less fortunate children in our community.
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235,000 people in Wisconsin rely on food supplied by Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin (formerly named America’s Second Harvest of Wisconsin) each year. The food bank is the largest, private, non-profit distributor of food in the state. Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin distributes nearly 11 million pounds of food annually to 1,100 food pantries, meal programs and shelters throughout Wisconsin. Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is affiliated with Feeding America which is consistently ranked as one of the most efficient charities, out of the country’s 100 largest charities, by Forbes magazine. Since 1982, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin has distributed more than 200 million pounds of food. To learn more about hunger in Wisconsin, log onto www.feedingamericawi.org.
